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Recalling and Scrapping Obsolete Motorcycles For a Clean Hanoi
Nguyen Tung 10:50, 2017/06/22
Motorbikes currently amount to 90% of vehicles in use and are one of the major reason for congestion and air pollution which has been increasingly exacerbated in the capital city.
Working out a clear-cut strategy to remove and replace obsolete motorcycles is an urgent matter for the sustainable development of Hanoi. 

Half of the Motorcycles Are Obsolete

According to statistics from  the Traffic Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security, 5,255,245 motorcycles and 4,397 three or four-wheelers are running in Hanoi roads. Nearly half of this amount are obsolete; many 15 to 25-year-old motorbikes are on the  roads daily. 


Along with cars, motorcycles ocuppy approximately 85.8% the circulation area  of Hanoi and being considered the main reason for  congestion in the capital city. “As obsolete motorcycles are not removed and a rising number of new vehicle are put on the roads, the city is flooded with motorbikes. If there are no suitable management strategies, the air quality and road traffic safety of Hanoi will encounter tremendous risks,” said Nguyen Manh Thang, an expert in transportation.

A research on the air quality of Vietnam conducted by the Green Innovation and Development Centre (GreenID) shows that the average air quality index (AQI) of Hanoi is 123, which is a poor level. The Hanoi  particle pollution  PM2.5 (fine inhalable particles with diameters of generally 2.5 micrometers or smaller) doubles  the national safe standard. The investigation carried out by the Transportation Strategy Institute shows  that, of the  6 sources of air pollution in Hanoi, motorbikes and cars add up to 70% of pollutants in the environment.
 
Old motorcycle with bulky cargo on Nguyen Chi Thanh Street

Not only exercising great pressures on traffic and causing heavy pollution on the city’s environment, approximately 2.6 million old motorcycles imply  safety risks for drivers and  people riding with them. 2016 research by the National Traffic Safety Committee show the connections between the traffic accidents and vehicle age. One to five yeaer  motorcycles tend to cause less serious traffic accidents than the ones that have been used  for over 10 years. 

Only Removing  Motorbikes Failing to Meet Technical Requirements

Mindful of the situation, the Hanoi People’s Committee has submitted to the government a proposal on recalling obsolete vehicles to ensure traffic safety and reduce pollution. Hanoi Transportation Dept. put the examples of  Singapore, India, Taipei (China), the world cities  that are testing emissions for over five- year- old vehicle.  The introduction of pollution standard contributes a technological barrier  to reduce obsolete two wheelers. Indeed, many cities have succeeded in applying  emission  fees as economic tools to reduce private vehicles. 

According the Hanoi’s proposal,  emission will be controled by  applying emission fees through windshield stickers (red, yellow and green) certifying the emission levels. It shows the city’s  determination  to recall and  remove motorcycles which exceed the acceptable emission standards or fail to  meet the required technical specifications. The City also proposed no  expiration for motorcycles. 

Once receiving the prime-ministerial approval, from now until June 30 next year, Hanoi will work out regulations as well as technical and environmental specifications with regard to automobiles and motorcycles. The City will also issue  guidelines on two-wheeler reduction  to the public. Furthermore, the City  will set up emission test centers and  their staff training. From July 1,  2018 to September 31, 2019, motorcycles with cubic capacity of 175m3 or more will be examined for their emission levels. 

After 2020, the policy will be assessed and assessment report will be submitted to the Prime Minister. In addition, future plans concerning motorcycles with cubic capacity under 175m3 and other two –wheelers  will  be proposed for primiministerial approval. Other tasks include recalling and removing obsolete vehicles that do not meet technological and environmental standards.

In his directive  No.35/TB-VPCP dated January 25, 2017, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has instructed measures to prevent traffic congestion in Hanoi. Under this directive, the Hanoi People’s committee is requested to analyze and review policies on obsolete motorcycles to ensure traffic safety and reduce pollution.
Gas emission and technical specification control will be applied to all types of motorcycles in Hanoi with no exception.
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